Gates Cambridge 2018-2019

[Gradgrrl]

On 11/14/2017 at 10:41 AM, ramsrising said:

That's definitely a great sign! Good luck! I received a conditional offer from Cambridge last week. Has anyone else heard back? Quite worried about financing the degree if Gates falls through

Hello- congratulations! I just got my conditional offer yesterday and official letter today! Also SUPER worried about funding. This is my second time applying because I couldn't afford it The first round. Anyone have an ideas about funding other than gates and when we'll hear? I know gates comes in around dec 10 or so.... (for US applicants)

Edited November 15, 2017 by Gradgrrl

[endoxifen]

So, my app just changed to “awaiting approval by GAO.” From everything that I’ve read and the people at Cambridge I’ve talked to, I guess that’s it! 

[Colleen0505]

Hello! Congrats to everyone. I also got nominated by the department (Clincal Neuroscience) and have a conditional offer. Does anyone know when we’ll hear about Gates short listing? And where Gates interviews will be held? 

[Gradgrrl]

On 11/20/2017 at 4:04 PM, Colleen0505 said:

Hello! Congrats to everyone. I also got nominated by the department (Clincal Neuroscience) and have a conditional offer. Does anyone know when we’ll hear about Gates short listing? And where Gates interviews will be held? 

From what I've heard last year they let people invited for interviews know around December 10-12 and the interviews are held via skype or in person in D.C.! 

 

Who did you reach out to in your department? I emailed my admin but no response :/ 

[ramsrising]

Hi everyone! Just a quick, logistical question. Is it true that, at this stage, departments shortlist candidates 100% based on academic merit? Does this mean solely your GPA? Or do they take other academic areas into account (ie: research)

[endoxifen]

3 hours ago, ramsrising said:

Hi everyone! Just a quick, logistical question. Is it true that, at this stage, departments shortlist candidates 100% based on academic merit? Does this mean solely your GPA? Or do they take other academic areas into account (ie: research)

Money says both. Honestly, GPA isn't a great measure of merit because there's too much variability between schools. It's usually only used as an elimination criteria. 

[thefastlayn]

Does anyone have any idea when Gates applicants might hear back about interviews? I'm going crazy waiting :/ 

[ohmyyyy]

5 hours ago, thefastlayn said:

Does anyone have any idea when Gates applicants might hear back about interviews? I'm going crazy waiting :/ 

Last year, the invites went out Dec 14th/15, so presumably in a week if you get an interview. Otherwise, you're basically on the interview waitlist until January, and then they'll email a rejection.

[BSHopeful]

On 11/28/2017 at 10:29 AM, Gradgrrl said:

From what I've heard last year they let people invited for interviews know around December 10-12 and the interviews are held via skype or in person in D.C.!

 

Who did you reach out to in your department? I emailed my admin but no response :/

Do you know when in person interviews actually take place in DC? I’m traveling in the Middle East for 2 weeks in January and it would suck if I couldn’t go in person. (I know this is probably an academic question because the odds of getting an interview for Gates is so small...but figured I would ask.)

 

Also I followed up with the program administrator on the status of my app, and she replied within 30 minutes that she would check on it. The next day my status changed to under review by the degree committee because she followed up (I think.) In my experience my program has been super responsive, I think it varies a lot program to program...

[Gradgrrl]

On ‎12‎/‎8‎/‎2017 at 5:25 PM, BSHopeful said:

Do you know when in person interviews actually take place in DC? I’m traveling in the Middle East for 2 weeks in January and it would suck if I couldn’t go in person. (I know this is probably an academic question because the odds of getting an interview for Gates is so small...but figured I would ask.)

 

Also I followed up with the program administrator on the status of my app, and she replied within 30 minutes that she would check on it. The next day my status changed to under review by the degree committee because she followed up (I think.) In my experience my program has been super responsive, I think it varies a lot program to program...

On the Gates Cambridge website it says the interviews will be held 26 & 27 January 2018 (USA).

I've already been given an offer and gave my dept. a call, they seemed pretty flustered I was inquiring and said it's confidential information! Hopefully that's not bad news for me, but who knows at this point. I agree, it does seem to vary!

[ramsrising]

Has anyone received news? I’m assuming it will happen sometime this week but the wait feels so long! 

[sammichaelgeorge]

Hi all- in order to receive a GC interview, must you first receive an official offer from Cambridge? My application is "under review by the degree committee," and I'm not sure what this means. I applied for MPhil in History in early october, and I haven't heard anything since.

[ohmyyyy]

34 minutes ago, sammichaelgeorge said:

Hi all- in order to receive a GC interview, must you first receive an official offer from Cambridge? My application is "under review by the degree committee," and I'm not sure what this means. I applied for MPhil in History in early october, and I haven't heard anything since.

I'm 99% sure you need an official offer. Got mine a few weeks ago for MASt in Applied Maths and Theoretical Physics. There is the possibility that you've been accepted and they haven't updated the status to something like "Awaiting approval by GAO" but they only rank candidates whom they plan to accept.

[sammichaelgeorge]

1 hour ago, qft said:

I'm 99% sure you need an official offer. Got mine a few weeks ago for MASt in Applied Maths and Theoretical Physics. There is the possibility that you've been accepted and they haven't updated the status to something like "Awaiting approval by GAO" but they only rank candidates whom they plan to accept.

Interesting- thanks for the reply. This is odd because I was fairly certain that I'd at least receive an offer of admission from Cambridge, considering my stats. I know that people applying for MPhil in History typically don't get responses until January (not considering the GC process). I assume they speed up their considerations if an applicant has indicated interest in GC?

[ohmyyyy]

3 hours ago, sammichaelgeorge said:

Interesting- thanks for the reply. This is odd because I was fairly certain that I'd at least receive an offer of admission from Cambridge, considering my stats. I know that people applying for MPhil in History typically don't get responses until January (not considering the GC process). I assume they speed up their considerations if an applicant has indicated interest in GC?

Just confirming, you're applying for the US round, right?

[BSHopeful]

6 hours ago, sammichaelgeorge said:

Hi all- in order to receive a GC interview, must you first receive an official offer from Cambridge? My application is "under review by the degree committee," and I'm not sure what this means. I applied for MPhil in History in early october, and I haven't heard anything since.

I don’t actually know if you have to be officially admitted to be considered. The programs/departments rank their top applicants for Gates, and I think there is an assumption that if you are ranked as a top candidate you will be admitted eventually even if the paperwork isn’t yet complete. I don’t think you are precluded from being considered because you haven’t yet received your offer. 

I could be wrong but it would be pretty illogical of them to ignore potentially wonderful applicants because one degree committee was slower than another. 

[ramsrising]

13 hours ago, BSHopeful said:

I don’t actually know if you have to be officially admitted to be considered. The programs/departments rank their top applicants for Gates, and I think there is an assumption that if you are ranked as a top candidate you will be admitted eventually even if the paperwork isn’t yet complete. I don’t think you are precluded from being considered because you haven’t yet received your offer. 

I could be wrong but it would be pretty illogical of them to ignore potentially wonderful applicants because one degree committee was slower than another. 

Hi! Have any of you heard anything yet? I called and I believe they will be sending out responses either today or tomorrow!

[sebilj]

As someone who has been lurking this thread for a while, I felt a little bit compelled to reply. I got an invitation this morning to interview in Seattle, for the Social Sciences panel, in January. I received an acceptance email from Cambridge in November. Hope you all have also been as lucky!

Edited December 14, 2017 by sebilj

[ertc]

26 minutes ago, sebilj said:

As someone who has been lurking this thread for a while, I felt a little bit compelled to reply. I got an invitation this morning to interview in Seattle, for the Social Sciences panel, in January. I received an acceptance email from Cambridge in November. Hope you all have also been as lucky!

do you know why you were invited to an interview in Seattle instead of D.C.?

[ramsrising]

42 minutes ago, sebilj said:

As someone who has been lurking this thread for a while, I felt a little bit compelled to reply. I got an invitation this morning to interview in Seattle, for the Social Sciences panel, in January. I received an acceptance email from Cambridge in November. Hope you all have also been as lucky!

Congratulations!!!! That’s awesome  What program did you apply to? 

[sebilj]

25 minutes ago, ertc said:

do you know why you were invited to an interview in Seattle instead of D.C.?

No clue, but the email says the interviews will be held at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in Seattle... Not sure if that's a change for everyone or just for West Coast people.

10 minutes ago, ramsrising said:

Congratulations!!!! That’s awesome  What program did you apply to? 

Thanks! ? I applied to Geography, which is also my undergrad field.

[thefastlayn]

57 minutes ago, sebilj said:

As someone who has been lurking this thread for a while, I felt a little bit compelled to reply. I got an invitation this morning to interview in Seattle, for the Social Sciences panel, in January. I received an acceptance email from Cambridge in November. Hope you all have also been as lucky!

Congratulations!!! And best of luck on your interview 

Does that mean that all interview invitations have been sent out today, or could I still receive one tomorrow? I haven't heard anything today and don't know if I should give up hope for a GC interview or not...

[ramsrising]

25 minutes ago, thefastlayn said:

Congratulations!!! And best of luck on your interview 

Does that mean that all interview invitations have been sent out today, or could I still receive one tomorrow? I haven't heard anything today and don't know if I should give up hope for a GC interview or not...

I called today and apparently they will be sending invites until Monday!

[Gradgrrl]

3 hours ago, sebilj said:

As someone who has been lurking this thread for a while, I felt a little bit compelled to reply. I got an invitation this morning to interview in Seattle, for the Social Sciences panel, in January. I received an acceptance email from Cambridge in November. Hope you all have also been as lucky!

Wow! Congratulations! Best of luck! I've heard nothing as of yet but trying not to make assumptions. Do y'all think they send out invites by panel? I'm also social sciences (I think... gender studies is always being categorized all over). 

Edited December 14, 2017 by Gradgrrl

[atl_cb]

4 hours ago, sebilj said:

As someone who has been lurking this thread for a while, I felt a little bit compelled to reply. I got an invitation this morning to interview in Seattle, for the Social Sciences panel, in January. I received an acceptance email from Cambridge in November. Hope you all have also been as lucky!

Haven't posted before but basically feel the same way....got invited to interview in Seattle for biological sciences. Look forward to seeing you there!

Best of luck to everyone else on here!!